The Light Known As You
by RaspPunkyCS
Summary: Okay, so, I'm still no good with summaries. Anyway, this is a mostly serious story, don't let my crappy summary throw you off. The door tto Kingdom Hearts has opened, and Sora must pair up with a new group of people to seal the keyhole once again.
1. dreaming of you

Hey! This is my first try at actually posting a fic or anything, so.. yeah. . anyway, please R &R! Also, if you find anything wrong with anything at all, please tell me.

Background Music "Hikari" by Hikaru Utada (what else??)

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No matter what the time I'm just alone

A girl. She stands alone on the beach, her red, shoulder length hair being tossed around in the wind. Sora walks over to her. Ugly brown and gray clouds are smeared over the steadily darkening sky. Lightning dances jerkily in on the horizon's dance floor and thunder booms out like bass. The sea is violent, throwing itself onto the shore like a mad animal. As he reaches her, she turns, her eyes hidden by her breeze-tossed hair.

And about the recent promises Is it just that I'm so anxious?

"Let's go." she says, her voice raspy.

A wish that's wanting to be said, but shall be repressed

"You and me?"

"We."

We'll always be together

She takes his hand.

The ocean pulls away from them, stretching to it's limits. The wave towers over them and he tugs at her hand.

The light known as "you" finds me

"Don't be afraid."

She is not afraid of anything, he thinks.

Enter a noisy street and put on the mask of destiny

But he's deathly afraid.. He pulls on her hand roughly but she doesn't even move, doesn't even waiver.

The wave grows and the wind picks up.

Thinking too much about the future

Her hidden eyes see it all.

Stopping things that have no meaning

He tightens his grip on her hand, whimpering with fear.

She turns her body to face him, eyes still hidden.

"You can open the door. Don't give in to the darkness."

Just keep going.

He opens his mouth. His jaw works madly, but no sound is heard over the roar of the ocean and the hiss of the wind.

The wave crests and starts to look downwards, right down on them.

It drops and smashes down around them as oblivion sinks in.

The light known as "you" reflects my scenario

The wave doesn't crush him, but swallows him. White, foamy teeth tear but make no marks on his slightly tanned skin.

Let's talk more and about the tomorrow that's before your very eyes

He stands on the ocean floor, his light brown hair feathering around him like a halo of spikes. She is by his side, red hair flowering gently, still in her eyes.

And look only at me

She smiles timidly and places a hand on his wrist. Shadows raise around them.

Because you're by my side

"Sora.."

The light known as "you" finds me in the middle of the night

He sat up with a start, his heart pounding against his ribs. Sora glanced around his room. Seeing nothing, he laid back down and massaged his temples. "Weird…"

Sora looked up at the star-filled sky.

Let's talk more

He lowered eyelids over cobalt pools.

And about the tomorrow that's before your very eyes

His mind wandered to islands that were both far off and oh so near.

Turn off the television, And look only at me


	2. yubiwa

Hey! It's me again with my 2nd chapter! I hope you enjoy it!

Okay, legal junk that I forgot in Ch1: I DO NOT OWN KINGDOM HEARTS! I only pwn it. Believe me, if I did own it, I would have a swimming pool full of pudding. ALSO! I don't own Disney. I'm not that old. And I don't own Squenix. (darn.) So here's chapter 2! Please R&R!

I know it's painfully short, but bear with me please. I just need to get the hang of the whole "incorperate songs into the fic" thing. Xp

BGM: "Yubiwa" by Maaya Sakamoto

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Sora pushed himself up off of the mossy ground. Somewhere in the distance an owl hooted softly and it echoed around the hidden cavern. The waves sloshed lazily on the sides of the many small rocks. He heard his name being called from inside Merlin's house and turned his head lazily.

"Yeah?"

No reply. He huffed a sigh and walked to the house, the dream on his mind. Who was that person. A.. girl? Yes, it had been a girl. But who was she? He didn't know. She had looked a little like Kairi, but he knew in his heart that it wasn't her. Kairi would never let her hair get so long. She had always cut her hair as soon as she could feel it on the back of her neck. The memory made him smile sadly to himself.

…Kairi….

As my tears keep overflowing one after the other

He pushed aside the dingy green cloth and stepped inside.

Her dark red hair that glowed pink in the sunlight. Her meaningful blue eyes that sucked your soul in, eyes that demanded attention. Walking along the shore looking for shells.

"I'm making a necklace of thalassa shells. In the old days sailors always wore thalassa shells. They were supposed to ensure a safe voyage."

The raft…

I can't see your last smile through their blur

"Sora…"

She was so happy. She would get to see other worlds.

"Sora…"

Her heart was stolen. She saw the darkness and evil the other worlds held.

Thank you for all of the precious feelings you've given to me__

"SORA!"

He snapped back into reality, his vision suddenly filled with two bloodshot eyes. Donald Duck stood on a small stool and was on eye level with him and shouting in his face. Sora smiled dopily.

"Why hello there.."

Please don't forget you're not alone

"What's the matter with you?!" Donald squawked. "Are you on drugs or something!?"

"No! I was just…thinking."

Donald scowled at him and turned back to the center of the room. Sora leaned to his left to see around the mage. In the center of the room was a lanky dog with golden fur ,a big black nose, and floppy black ears. In the dog's mouth was a letter.

"Pluto!"

The dog's head jerked in Sora's direction, the green paper flying from his mouth, and he bounded towards him, tongue lolling out of his mouth and tail swinging furiously. Sora patted the dog's head gently as Goofy lifted the letter from the carpet.

"What's it say?"

Goofy clutched the paper in both hands and read aloud:

"Dear Donald, Goofy, and Sora,

I fear that the door to Kingdom Hearts will open soon. As you know, this will cause the world borders to collapse. Please be on the watch for Heartless wherever you go.

Also, if the doors are opening again after being locked by the Keyblade, the Heartless may have gotten stronger. Be careful! This could be serious!

-King Mickey"

There was a strange silence over the group. The only sounds to be heard was Pluto's panting and the swish swish noise of his tail.

"Is that it?" asked Donald impatiently.

"Uh.. nope! There's more!" Goofy grinned. "Lesse.. 'P.S. I'm sending some help just in case'."

Sora wrinkled his nose up. "Help? We don't need help. We can take this on our own! Right, guys?"

"Right!"

"Well, uh, I dunno. The King thinks that we may need help. " Goofy reminded cautiously.

Pause. "Yeah, well.. If we don't need help we can just send them away." Sora said, feigning relaxation. He walked to the small cloth-covered doorway .

Even if something lapses away, something will live once again

"So, c'mon."

"What?"

Sora turned, smiling. "C'mon! The world borders are down, right? Well, then let's go!"

"Where?"

His grin widened. "The Destiny Islands!"

When you gave me a smile as we parted

-------------------------------------------------------------------

it was your message for me to truly live with all my heart

"Ugh!"

He threw his pale body at the door. It had moved earlier! He was so sure of it! Now if he could just get it open..

He pressed his black gloved hands to the giant ivory and pushed, using all his strength. When his strength ran out, he pulled back, shaking. He pushed his long, blue-gray hair out of his eyes and looked the door over. He was looking for something, _anything_ that - THERE! There was a small amount of light shining through the crack. He'd almost missed it, for it was so slim a that thicken pieces of paper would not fit. But it was there, in all it's shining glory.

Riku felt a wave of warmth wash over his body, something that had left him long ago.

Happiness.

Hope.

Let's bet everything on all our hopes and dreams

He pressed his forehead to the door and felt warmth from the other side. _No, _he chided himself _you imagined it. It's not warm out there, it's never been. It's as cold as it is in here._

But the warmth remained inside him. Suddenly, his muscles gave out and he collapsed onto his knees. Riku shook his head, trying to clear the mist of fatigue, but sleep overwhelmed him and he fell foreword.

Live the future that blooms in tomorrow


	3. the destiny islands

Chapter 3?! Already? Wow, time flies when you're not in Chemistry! Anyway, thanks to the reviews ! I love all three of you! (ha ha ha) Maybe I'll get more this chapter? I dunno. But we can hope, ne?

Okay, so I'm thinking we've established who does and doesn't own Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy. If not then.. well… then I guess you live under a rock or something.

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NOTICE! I revamped the format! I will not choose a song and smear it out over the chapter anymore. It worked with the first one, but the second one was HARD! SO I'm gonna make it like a movie! Songs pop up in random places. Song credits (if any) will be listed at the ends of the chapters.

Uh oh…what's that smell? It smells like… Original Characters! Ha ha! But don't worry, I start throwing them in for a couple chapters, so that'll give you some time to think of rants. (Things along the line of OMFGWTFBBQ OCS IN KH UR NOT ORIGIONAL! Are not acceptable)

Anyway, ONWARD!

Sora sat in the pilot's seat of the gummi ship. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and clicked his tongue on the back of his teeth.

"C'mon! _C'mon_!!!"

"Hold your horses!" Donald squawked, feathers puffing. "The ship was damaged when the borders closed, and if we don't fix it right then we could all be killed!"

Sora rolled his bright blue eyes. "Puh-leeze!" he sighed. Sure, a broken gummi ship could hurt them, but kill them? He gulped. After that, he no longer attempted to rush the verbally, but the finger tapping and tongue-clicking continued.

There was a great amount of noise coming from where Donald and Goofy worked on the ship. Sora had no knowledge in the anatomy of their ship, and him trying to help only hindered. But really, how was he supposed to know what a Sprackle was?!

He sat back in the plush seat to think.

The Destiny Islands… how long had it been since he had last seen his home? Over a year.. a year in a half, maybe? He gave a low whistle. He wondered how much everyone had changed. Selphie, Tidus, Wakka…

Kairi. His mind slid placidly from thoughts of an uncertain future to memories of a happy past.

Watching Tidus and Wakka practice blitzball. How they could do it, he never knew. They'll be famous someday..

Playing practical jokes on Selphie. She was too gullible for her own good. She walked right into all of them.. Only now did it occur to him that maybe she did it just to humor them.. _Maybe._

Kairi and Riku… he smiled to himself. _They'd been so close up until a few years ago. Then Riku had been so… distant? That wasn't the word. He and Kairi had grow closer, and Riku had been left behind._

Sora winced painfully as a heavy blow landed on the back of his head. He jerked around to face Donald, who has wielding his wizard's staff like a battle hammer. "Get out of my chair!"

Sora glared, but crawled out of the chair as Donald raised the wand for another beating. Goofy smiled apologetically to Sora, and the Keyblade master smirked in response. He slid into the backseat of the ship and pressed his face against the window. He loved takeoffs. The ground seemed to shrink away slowly, then suddenly lunge into the distance as the ship warped away. Space and time slipped past them and he felt as though he was dreaming.

Sora leaned back against the seat and felt suddenly very sleepy. His eyes closed slowly and soon he was dreaming.

"Sora!"

He turns. A small group of people stand a few meters behind him. They all wave cheerily and call his

name.

"Sora!"

"Sora-kun!"

"Hey! Sora!"

He smiles. He wants to be among them, to be swallowed by their warmth and friendship. He feels like he's known them his whole life. He takes a step towards them, but feels held back by something.

A hand on his arm.

He turned.

Riku and Kairi stood there. Both smiling warmly. Kairi's hand lay gently on his arm, her fingers curl lovingly around it. He has known them his whole life.

Now he's torn.

Riku and Kairi, the very souls he'd been chasing after for almost two years, right here with him.

"Sora!"

The others who would wait for him forever.

"Sora!"

"So-raa!"

His eyes flew open and he inhaled sharply. Beads of sweat pearled on his forehead.

"Uh…Sora?" Goofy's voice was as foolish as usual, but hinted with concern.

"Yeah?"

"I think we're , uh, getting closer."

"Oh.. Okay." He nodded. "Thanks."

Goofy nodded and turned back to the controls.

Sora shifted his gaze to the stars. Why had it been so hard for him to choose? He should have chosen Riku

and Kairi without batting an eye! But… he didn't. _I'm such a terrible person._ he scolded angrily.

"Incoming!"

The turbulence shook the hull of the ship violently, like a giant puppy had gotten a hold of it. Sora braced himself against the sides of the ship as Donald and Goofy fought to regain control.

"We're gonna crash!"

The gummi ship spiraled downward.

Down…

down…

down…

And Sora's world was engulfed by black nothingness.

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"requiem" - yoko kanno

Riku's pale eyes fluttered open. Something was different. He hoisted himself up off the ground and looked around. The usual ink pool of Kingdom Hearts's core seemed less violent, less.. less bloodthirsty. A slight breeze flittered his hair.

He turned, icy fear gripping his heart.

The ivory doors of Kingdom Hearts were wide open., like the gaping jaws of a mythical beast.

"I'm dreaming." he spoke aloud. His voice cracked from lack of use.

He advanced onto the pale purplish ground that squished beneath his feet.

Freedom.

Light.

He smiled, the expression becoming less-alien to his sullen face.

Freedom.

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She was awake before she opened her eyes. The crash noise… had an old building fallen in? She wouldn't

have been surprised. She lived in an older part of town where houses were big, but mostly uninhabited. Lately several of these sad, empty homes had echoed with the crack of hammers as the words CONDEMNED hung like ugly scars on the doors.

Her cerulean eyes opened slowly, long lashes sweeping upwards dramatically. She groaned quietly as she sat up to look out her window. To her surprise, there was no dust cloud sweeping down the street. Her eyes swept the horizon several times before she saw it. A slight cloud rising from the neighboring island.

"Odd.." she said. The overwhelming curiosity of a young girl's heart overwhelmed her. She was going to investigate.

She cleaned and dressed quickly, grabbed a slice of toast, and ran out the door.

"Good morning, Kairi!" called Mrs. Leigh, an elderly woman who lived next door.

She waved cheerily. "G'mornin'!". She locked her house behind her , and raced down the road to the docks.

She gazed out at the island. The smoke had faded, but she knew approximately where she was headed.

"Kairi!"

Images of a charismatic young man with wild chocolate hair filled her mind.

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Sora glanced around the wreckage. He ripped the glove off his right hand, put the back of his bleeding hand to his mouth, sucked, and spat.

"Donald? Goofy?"

He looked around again. They weren't in the ship. The window was shattered.

"Crap."

He braced his feet against the door and shoved. The door creaked and popped off it's hinges. He pulled himself out of the heap of gummi-metal and gummi-glass and sat on top of the mess. He sucked on his hand a bit more, the bitter taste of blood making him feel ill. He took the glove off of his other hand and switched them, not too keen on the idea of an infection.

Sora lay back on the broad side of the ship and stared up at the sky.

__

I'm home.

He could hear the ocean crashing down just beyond the trees. The air was a decent amount of warmth, though there was more humidity than he remembered. Cool ocean breezes blew in. His eyelids felt heavy…

"No." he said firmly, forcing himself into a sitting position once more. He didn't want to sleep. He didn't want any more dreams, especially the ones he'd been having lately. He hugged his knees to his chest and stared off into space. He could just make out the fruits of the paopu trees at the edge of the jungle.

"Sora."

Riku tossed a small, yellow thing to Sora..

"You wanted one, didn't you?"

"A Paopu fruit?"

"If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives, no matter what."

He smirked grimly to himself. _We should have all shared one. Maybe then I wouldn't be so worried about them all the time…_

A crashing arose from his left, accompanied by loud squabbling.

"What could possibly make you think he'd still be by the ship?"

"Well, uh, when a group gets separated, someone's suppose'ta stay in one spot!"

"He won't still be there! This is that island, right? He prolly ran off…"

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Hello there."

"Uh, Hello there, Sora!" called Goofy, waving.

Donald said nothing, but if ducks could blush, he would have right then.

Sora lowered himself off the ship. "So, let's go!"

"Now, wait just a minute!"

He scowled slightly. "What?"

"We can't just go running off in any direction! We'll get lost!"

Sora rolled his eyes. "I think I'd know my way around the island, thank you very much."

"You big palooka! How do you even know this is your island anyway!?"

"Because!" Sora replied, feeling very annoyed. He marched off into the trees for a moment, snatched a paopu from a tree, and stomped back. "_This_ is how I know!" He shoved the star fruit into Donald's face. "_This_ is my proof! These things only grow on the Destiny Islands! _Nowhere else_!" Sora wheeled around and went towards the beach. "I'm going to find the others." he announced and disappeared.

Oh, the angst! Ha ha ha. Wow, this ended up being longer than I expected! XD neat-o-rific!


	4. twists and turns

I'm back with Chapter 4!! YAY! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm too lazy to post the names, but they know who they are. And everyone who hasn't reviewed… well… we're all ashamed of you. It's true.

Same legal junk as usual. I don't own Kingdom Hearts, blah blah blah, no one cares anymore.

Ahh.. I've noticed that Goofy hasn't had many lines so far. I'll see if I can get him more this time.

Three dashes ( - - - ) means a change in place, two dashes (- -) means I skipped some time.

Here comes the twist! OMG! Buckle your seatbelts, boys and girls!

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Sora made his was slowly through the thick foliage, using his Keyblade like a machete whenever he got to a thick section, rage fueling him. How could Donald not believe him? Sheesh.

The cut on his hand was no longer bleeding, but still throbbed slightly.

But why was he so mad? It was only now occurring to him that paopus could possibly grow on another world. After all, there were infinite worlds out there. Doubt started to creep into his mind, but was shoved away viciously by anger. No! This was his island!

It had to be!

- - -

Kairi climbed out of the rickety little boat, looking at it cautiously. "Don't sink while I'm gone." she said under her breath, making a mental note to have Wakka or someone fix it later. She tied the vessel to the docks and faced the jungle. Something moved just beyond where the light reached, making the bushes and trees rustle and quake.

She grimaced.

There was something there. It was bigger than her and **_defiantly_** stronger than her. _Not good. _she thought. _Really not good_. She started to back away slowly, readying herself to run.

The vegetation parted and the creature stepped out.

Brown, spiky hair. Blue eyes. Black clothing.

"Sora!"

(P.O.V. Sora)

A familiar voice called my name, so I jerked my head up.

There she was.

eyes hair nose mouth ears arms legs hips shoulders voice smile

All my feelings from almost two years ago came rushing back, overwhelming me like a rip current.

Love.

I love her.

I didn't realize my smile until it had taken me over. I rushed foreword, tripping through the white sand and sending it flying all over the place.

(P.O.V. 3rd)

As he reached her his arms unfolded like wings and he embraced her tightly.

All the words he wanted to say raced through his mind.

I missed you so much. Are you real? Am I dreaming? I love you.

"… Sora..?"

He pulled away, keeping his hands on her shoulders.

"I missed you so much, Kairi. I'm glad you're okay."

She frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Now it was his turn. "What?"

"You've only been gone for two days." Then a blush spread brightly across her face. "N-not that I'm not happy you missed me, it's just-"

"What?! Two days? Kairi, I've been gone for over a year!"

She sighed and pulled away, shaking her head. "No, two days. Quit exaggerating."

He nodded. "Oh, yeah. Ha ha. I didn't think you'd fall for it." He put on a smile, wondering if it fooled her.

What's going on here?!

The façade seemed to work. She smiled warmly, tucking a bit of hair behind her ears. "So, how was exploring? Find anything new?" she asked gently, smiling.

"Oh.. It was, uh, great." he said absently, looking out at the sea. His eyes slid across the horizon, but came to focus on Kairi.

Her hair had gotten a little longer, maybe an inch or so. She had gotten taller, maybe, but so had he. She still stood the same, with her hands clasped behind her.

She turned to him, tilting her head ever so slightly. "Let's go back to town."

He nodded . She started toward the boat, but Sora strayed behind, turning to look at the jungle.

Where are Donald and Goofy?

"Sora!"

She waved her arm in a wide arc, summoning him to the boat.

- - -

**("Another Side" - Yoko Shinomura)**

Four cloaked figures stood in middle the room, a dim light shone down from above, but their faces were hidden from view by the hoods on their coats.

"What do you have to report?"

The rich, deep voice of an educated man ricocheted off the walls. He stood before them, shrouded in shadows. Not one bit of light touched him.

The figure of the far right, the tallest of the four, stepped forward. "He is on the Destiny Islands, sir. The king's crew is with him." and he stepped back.

"I see." If he felt any emotion, his voice didn't show it. "Well, two of you will have to go take care of him."

There was a pause, and then the second from the left stepped forward.

"I'll go." came the light voice of a young woman, barely in her teens.

"I'll accompany her." said Far-Right.

"Right. You two go on."

They nodded and, in a puff of black smoke, were gone.

"You two go back and keep an eye on things."

"Yes, sir." said the two voices in unison, and then they two were gone.

- - -

Donald and Goofy fought their way through the jungle, following Sora's path. It wasn't hard; the Keyblade master had hacked and slashed the surrounding plant-life into a pulp. After a couple minutes of silence, they came to an opening. The beach lay sprawled out for all to see. The ocean glittered in the sunset and the sand was pearly white.

The pair stood mesmerized for a few moments, but it was Donald who came to first. "C'mon, we gotta find someplace to sleep."

Goofy nodded and looked around, his ears swinging with the motion of his head. "There's a shack over yonder!" he said, pointing to the ramshackle old hut.

Donald opened his beak to protest, but changed him mind and fell silent, replying with a nod.

- - -

Sora stared around his room. It was different than he remembered. It was as if someone else had been living there in his place. There were more posters on the walls and ceiling. On his desk sat new pictures in old frames. He, Tidus, and Wakka fishing. Kairi blowing a kiss to the photographer. All of them making odd faces, contorting usually pleasant features into monster masks.

Some things, however, were still the same. The large wooden ark still hung from the ceiling, the two dolls still lolling out of it, grinning like mindless dopes. Old pastel and chalk pictures hung on the walls, hung crookedly with pushpins.

He walked over and flopped onto his bed, face down. The sheets were different. When he had left, they had been white, but they were now light blue with a dark blue plaid design.

He heaved a sigh. It was his room, but it wasn't, in a way.

"Something wrong?"

He rolled onto his side lazily. Kairi stood in the doorway, a hand on her hip.

Sora shook his head. "Nah, I'm fine."

She nodded "Alright. I.. I'm going now."

He nodded and she left, closing the door behind her. The brunette sighed again, running his hands through his spikes.

What now?

An easy question.

He pushed himself off the bed and started taking down posters. He hadn't even _heard_ of some of these things. He rolled them up and threw them into the space between the desk and the wall. Next he walked to the hall closest and hunted down white sheets. After finding his treasure, he went to his room and ripped the blue sheets away from the mattress and threw them into the doorway. He put the white ones on and made his bed the best way he knew how. His olive colored blanket, something that was the same, went on top. He grabbed two corners and threw it up into the air, where it spread out, and he lowered it back onto the bed. The last touch was his pillow. He threw it onto the bed and stood back to admire his work. It was a wrinkled mess, but he was pleased.

Sora looked around the room. He used to have a candy stash, but, thanks to his mom's constant raids, he doubted it was still there. He slunk down to the kitchen, yawning widely. He browsed the pantry, pulling a box of cheddar-crackers from the top shelf. He grabbed a soda from the refrigerator and headed back to his room.

- -

A box of crackers and a can of pop later, Sora lay in his bed, gazing out the window. His room was now how he liked it: a chaotic mess. The cracker box laid on its side on the floor and the can of soda perched on his window. His eyelids felt too heavy. He felt a little guilty for leaving Donald and Goofy, but the feeling left quickly.

A white streak across the sky.

Pretty…

Sleep blurred his vision…

No more dreams.

… and enfolded him in peaceful raven wings.


	5. zombies

Hi there! This is (OMG!) CHAPTER 5!! AHH! Nothing much to say here, so I'll just get the ball rolling.

Disclaimer: blah blah blah

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(Music - "Dive Into The Heart"- Yoko Shinomura)

__

The beach. The sky is filled with swollen clouds, their gray and black bodies crushed together.

He stands on the beach next to her. He is happy with her, and she with him.

Shadows.

They're surrounded. The Key glows in his hand. He fights them, hacking and slashing. He fights for her.

But she is not with him.

He turns. While he has been fighting, she is where she always was. She is alone and scared.

"Kairi!"

She looks up, her eyes filled with panic. He tries to reach her, his hand out to her. He tries to walk, but there is something holding him back. Shadows have wrapped around his legs, their claws scratch his skin.

He starts to move to her. He can't lose her again.

The Shadows hold him back, their darkness coiled around him. His legs. His wrists. His neck..

He calls her name, reaching out to her. She stands, saying nothing. The betrayed look in her eyes says everything.

Numbness settles over him.

Sora's eyes opened slowly. The sun shone in through his window and rested on him. He squinted and held up a hand to shield his cobalt eyes.

"Sheesh…" he muttered. Traverse Town was a city of eternal night, and he'd been there a while. He wasn't as used to the white-hot glare of the sun as he had been.

"You've only been gone for two days. N-not that I'm not happy you missed me, it's just-"

"What?! Two days? Kairi, I've been gone for over a year!"

"No, two days. Quit exaggerating."

He shook his head at the memory.

Two days? That can't be right. She's aged a lot more than two days. We both have.

He sat up and threw his feet onto the floor. He'd have to ask Donald and Goofy about this.

If they were still on the island.

"Why did I have to be such a jerk.." Sora grumbled, scratching his forehead lazily.

__

- - -

****

("Destiny Islands" - Yoko Shinomura)

Sora closed the door to his house behind him. Now that he was out in the sun, he knew he'd regret his choice of black clothing very quickly. He stretched and looked up and down the rows of houses. People doing their daily chores. None of them reacting unusually to his presence. His neighbors waved and nodded hellos, and he replied the same.

He walked into town, still getting no strange looks, no enthusiastic acknowledgments. To be honest, he was disappointed. People looked different, spoke different, acted different. He knew he did. But.. Two days, eh? Bull. Something was up.

"Sora!"

He turned his head to the source of the voice. A girl, his age, maybe a year younger, with jaw-length brown hair and a low-necked yellow tank top. Her eyes were large and emerald green, her mouth cat-like.

"Oh, hey.. Selphie?" his response was more of a question than a statement, but she didn't seem to notice. She walked toward him, platform shoes clunking.

"You goin' to visit Kairi?"

"Uhh.." Sora felt like an idiot. He didn't even know where she was. "She's up this early?" he joked, trying to get a confession from his fellow brunette.

She rolled her eyes, but allowed herself a smirk. "Duh. She has work today, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. Work." This was news to him.

"Mind if I go with? I have something I need to give her…" she said, holding up a well-worn book. The pages were yellowed and rounded off. The spine and cover were covered in white stripes, showing the book was a favorite.

"Oh! No problem, Selph." Oh yeah.

She beamed at him and started walking. Sora followed beside her, slightly behind. The streets twisted and turned, but since Selphie knew the way, it was easy. Sora, who was no good with directions, memorized the buildings along the path.

Selphie stopped so suddenly that Sora nearly plowed into her. "Taa daa!" she sang, and pushed the door open. Sora glanced at the sign.

****

LOIRE'S

Which meant nothing to him. Oh well.

He pushed the door open and was hit in the face with a strong after-shave type scent. His eyes adjusted to the lack of light in the store slowly, allowing him to observe his surroundings.

LOIRE'S was an item and weapon shop. Weapons were kept in glass cases towards the back on the store, with several large locks on each case. Items, potions, ethers, elixirs, and such, were on shelves all around the perimeter of the shop. In the middle of the room sat three large oak tables with two chairs at each table. One of the tables was occupied by two elderly men who drank out of bottles wrapped in paper bags.

"Hello, welcome to Lo- Sora!"

He smiled warmly at the redhead behind the counter. "'Lo."

"That's not the name of the store." Someone called jokingly from the back room.

She laughed lightly, rolling her eyes. "Lemme try again. 'Hello, welcome to Loire's.'" she turned to face the open door behind the counter. "Better?"

"Yeah."

Sora leaned on the counter and tried to peer around Kairi into the back room, but had no luck in locating the speaker.

"Sora..?"

He grinned widely at the two girls and took his weight off the counter, standing a few inches away now.

The door to the back room opened more, and a tall man with long, dark hair and a handsome face stepped out. His aquamarine eyes shone brightly, even in the dim room. He carried himself like a fighter, back straight, shoulders squared. A pen was tucked behind his ear.

"Oh!" Selphie gasped softly. Sora could see where Selphie would have a crush on this guy.

"Sora, let me introduce you to my boss, Laguna Loire."

Laguna nodded and held out his hand to Sora, and he took it. The older man shook Sora's hand firmly.

"La- Mr. Loire, this is Sora."

"Nice to finally meet you Sora. I've heard a lot about you."

"Erm, nice to meet you, too, Mr. Loire." Sora replied, feeling stupid. _Sheesh, way to make a guy uncomfortable._

Something about him was familiar. His face reminded him of someone, but who? Sora couldn't place it.

Laguna excused himself from them and walked to the table where the two men sat. He grabbed a chair from another table and sat to talk. Selphie eyed him like a dog eyeing a steak, giving him a once over.

Kairi and Sora watched, interested in her response to the older man's presence.

"So, Sora, what's up?" asked the fiery haired young woman.

"Eh, not much. Just thought I'd drop in."

"Are we still going over to Kouhai island later?"

"Huh?"

She frowned slightly. "We made plans like a week ago. What's with you lately?"

He shook his head, brown spikes shaking gently. "It's nothing, Kai. I've just been.. ya know." and he made a swirling motion with one finger next to his temple. "Yeah, we're still on."

She wasn't convinced at all, but pretended to be. "Alright. My shift ends in an hour or so." her gaze went to Selphie, who was still staring Laguna down like he was lunch.

"She's drooling on the counter." Sora teased, waving and hand in front of her transfixed eyes.

"Uh? What?" Selphie shook her head.

"Welcome back."

- - -

A lone cloaked figure stood before his shadowed boss.

"Sir.. I fear our world is reaching its end." said the shrouded young man.

"I see.." the shadow's voice was filled with empathy. "It was destined. That world has been bound to crumble for eons. There is nothing I can do."

The boy nodded slowly. "Yes.. I understand."

"Have we received contact from the others yet?"

"No, sir." his voice was stern, but slightly worried.

"Please inform me as soon as they report."

"Yes, sir."

- - -

Kairi and Sora clambered out of Kairi's boat, Sora carrying a basket of food, Kairi with a blanket.

"Need help?" he asked, watching her as she tried and failed at keeping the cloth in a roll.

"_No_." she said stubbornly, making him smile. She saw his face and glared daggers. "Sora, don't you _dare _laugh at me!"

But he couldn't help it. "You sure you don't want me to carry that?"

She opened her mouth to decline the offer, but didn't get a chance.

"Kairi! Sora! Kairi!"

They turned to see three young children running towards them.

"Pacce? Hana? Taro? What's up?" asked Kairi, setting the blanket in the boat.

"Dead people!" one of them shouted.

Sora's eyebrows went up. "Dead people?"

Hana nodded anxiously.

"Where?" Kairi asked casually.

"The cave! The cave!" called Taro.

"The Secret Place!" squeaked Pacce.

Sora and Kairi exchanged glances. What kind of game was this?

The children watched them, eyes large with panic.

"Alright, we'll check it out." Sora said, shrugging casually.

Kairi nodded, and the Kinderguardians took off at full speed.

- -

The group stood before the large, gaping hole in the side of the mountain. The three younger kids fidgeted nervously, while Sora and Kairi stood by casually, Kairi with her hands together behind her.

"In here?" Kairi asked, and they nodded to confirm.

"Well, let's go." Sora said, and he and Kairi started forward.

"Don't leave us!" shouted Hana.

Kairi glanced at Sora worriedly. These kids were really scared of something.

"It's okay, Kairi. I'm sure I can manage it." the Keyblade master said, still not taking it seriously.

"Be careful."

"Yeah."

****

("Lulu's Theme" - Nobou Uematsu)

He pushed back the vines and creepers and stepped through.

It seemed like no matter what, the ground was always slightly damp. He made his way slowly down the long, squishy path. He turned the final corner and reached a large opening in the belly of the mountain.

Sure enough, two people lay on the ground, not moving. In the dim, almost nonexistent light, and from a six-year-old point of view, they _were_ dead. But Sora could easily see their chests rising and falling with breath. Who there people were, though, was a mystery. A girl and a boy, both around his age. He had never seen either of them before.

The girl had long, black hair that was tied back into a ponytail, with some hanging down on both sides. Her clothing consisted of a green top with two brass buckles hanging down , a pair of short, black shorts, dark brown knee socks, and light brown shoes with olive green toes. Her skin had the slight tan of someone who spent time outdoors, but not much. Around her neck was a black band that covered most of the neck. Her ears were plain with no signs of piercings. On her arms were long arm socks, crème colored with black lips. Over these arms socks were thick, elbow length gloves that reminded Sora of Yuffie.

The boy, on the other hand, had the darker tan of someone who spent a great deal of the day outside. His arms showed signs of heavy lifting, which lead Sora to think he was either a swordsman or someone who worked for a store that supplied heavy armor. Or both. His clothing was similar to that of the girl's in that the fabrics looked the same. He wore a black sleeveless shirt and dark brown pants, which were tucked into black steel-toed boots. On his left arm he wore brown leather straps that buckled on the outside and a black glove that had the thumb cut out. On said glove was a dark red, I-shaped design. The top line (or bottom, depending on how you see it) wrapped around his wrist, forming the mouth of the glove. On his right arm was a black arm sock with a matching black and red glove over it. His hair was dark, jaw length, and shaggy. On both ears sat thick, metal stud earrings. A scarf-like cloth sat loosely around his neck and shoulders, but upon further inspection, Sora found it to be not a scarf, but a cape.

__

Sheesh, who wears capes? Sora thought to himself cynically.

He moved closer to where they were sprawled on the floor, as if they had collapsed or had simply been dropped.

The girl was closest to him, so he decided to check on her first. He knelt down at her side and put the tips of his fingers to her neck. There was a swift movement just barely in his line of vision and before he could move a muscle he felt the sharp edge of a blade at his neck. His eyes traveled up the blade to the wielder. It was the unconscious guy, who was currently not so unconscious.

"W-woah, there, buddy." Sora said, smiling shakily. He stood carefully and backed away from the girl on the ground.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice cold.

"Sora. Listen, I wasn't going to do anything, I was just checking on her! Honest!"

He young man narrowed his eyes at Sora, not moving the weapon.

Sora put his palm on the blade and pushed it away slowly. The dark-haired young man withdrew the sword and put it on his shoulder, then looked down at the girl. He heaved a sigh and the sword glowed slightly and vanished.

"You're Sora?" he asked, looking at the spiky-haired brunette.

"Yeah. And you're..?"

But he ignored him and knelt next to the girl and tapped her cheek gently. "Nyx.. Nyx, wake up." Her eyelids fluttered then opened.

"Hmm?"

"C'mon."

She sat up slowly, then looked up at Sora. A sweet smile spread across her face, and she stood.

"You're Nyx?"

"I am!" she said with a quick nod.

- -

Kairi's eyes were fixed on the mouth of the cave. Taro, Hana, and Pacce whimpered and clutched at her arms.

"He-he's been in there f-for a long time."

Kairi smiled gently at them. "Don't worry. Sora's strong and brave. He'll come back."

They attempted to smile back, but their grins were feeble.

As if on cue, the vines at the entrance of the cave peeled back. Sora stepped through, followed by two strangers.

"Zombies!" shrieked the children, and they ran off screaming.

Kairi looked that them apologetically, and stepped forward.

"These are the 'dead people'?" she asked wryly.

"No way, we're 'zombies'!" protested the black-haired girl.

Introductions were made between Kairi and Nyx, who took immediate likings to each other.

Kairi looked from Nyx, to Sora, then to the young man whom was still nameless.

"And you are..?"

Sora looked to him as well.

"Corben." he said flatly.

"Ooh! You're so rude!" Nyx teased, poking his cheek with her index finger.

He swatted her away, wrinkling his nose at her.

Sora took his chance and spoke up. "So, do you have anyplace to stay?"

Nyx nodded. "We're sleepin' in the cave!" she chirped, as if it was common knowledge. Kairi looked absolutely mortified.

"No you're _not_ sleeping in some moldy cave!" she yelped. "You can both stay with me, it's no problem!"

"Eeks! You're so nice!" cried Nyx, taking Kairi's hands in hers, jumping up and down.

- -

Walking through town, Corben and Nyx got many odd looks, but it was as if they didn't notice. The scorn, the scowls, the wolfish gazes, the adoring stares, they all rolled off of them.

Being with them, Sora and Kairi, though both well known, were also on the receiving end of harsh whispers. Sora, like the two strangers, was unaffected. He had been to other worlds. He knew what they said.

Ever seen him before? Where'd he come from? Look at those clothes. Think he's trouble?

It had bothered him at first, but not anymore.

Kairi, however, was not so fortunate. She glanced around, finding holding her head high to be more and more difficult with each step. By the time they reached her house she was reminded of how little self-confidence she had. It was unnerving how calm the others were.

"Well, here we are." she announced. They slowed and she passed them up, turning up the walkway and climbing the stairs to her stoop.

"Kyaa! This is your house?! It's so big!" Nyx gushed. Her fists were clutched to her chest as she bunny hopped up the path.

Kairi blushed slightly and turned to the house. "Well, they built big back when they built this neighborhood…" she mumbled, lifting the mat to get at the spare key. Her search proved fruitful, and the door swung open. "Come on in." she called, waving her arm. Nyx rushed in, slipped her shoes off, and ran into the kitchen, choruses of kyaa's echoed through the hall.

Corben shook his head slowly, and walked up the stoop. "I'm sorry about her." he said softy, then continued on.

Kairi turned to Sora, utterly baffled. Sora met her eyes and burst out in laughter. Kairi failed to see what was so funny, but the sound of his laughter gave her a warm feeling in her chest.

"You staying for dinner?" she asked, leaning on the doorframe.

He paused to think, then nodded. "Of course. There's no way I'm missing this circus."

She smirked wryly. "You could be more sympathetic."

"You offered them a place to stay." he reminded.

She sighed. "I know, I know."

And with that she turned to go in.

Sora stared out into the distance, slightly dazed.

"You coming in or not?"

Suddenly, a thought came to him.

"Hey, Kai?"

"Yeah?"

"How's Riku?"

She paused, watching him oddly.

"Who?"

LONG FRIGGIN CHAPTER! AHH! Microsoft word says 9 pages/ 2935 words of story here. Whew! Please R&R while my carpel tunnel rages. XO


	6. not so wonderful

There was some confusion in the last chapter. D'oh. Okay, so, the thing is, Sora's supposedly been there the whole time. , hanyan, I'm sorry! I should have explained it better!

Let's save the rest for later and just dive in.

-------------------------------

Sora stood, bewildered.

"What do you mean, 'who?', Kairi?!"

She didn't look like she was lying. Kairi was a horrible liar.

"Sora, stop it." she growled, then turned and went into the house, leaving the door open for him.

He stared at the door, slack-jawed. He shook is head angrily and leapt up the stairs, when into the house, and shut the door behind him.

Kairi's house always smelled like flowers, though he could never find any. He walked hurriedly down the stretch of hallway and came to a large room. Off to the side of the room was the kitchen, where Kairi and the others were standing. Kairi talking to herself about what to make, Corben staring out the window, Nyx sniffing around the pantry.

He spotted Kairi and crossed the kitchen to where she stood skimming through cookbooks.

"Listen, Kairi, I..-" he paused, trying to find the right words. "I'm sorry if you think I'm being weird, but you don't get it, I.."

Her eyes were fixed on the pages of the book.

"Kairi.."

"Listen, Sora, I'm a little busy."

He glared at the back of her head

"Right.. well, I'm gonna go see if my mom's home, so…"

She offered no sign that she was listening, so he didn't bother to finish. He muttered quick goodbyes to Corben and Nyx, and left.

- -

Sora pushed his front door open slowly, letting the creak echo.

"Hello? Anyone home?"

He glanced around the foyer. A brown coat had been hung lazily from it's hook and a pair of woman's shoes were by the doorway.

"Mom?"

No response.

He took his shoes off, leaving them my the door, and crept into the kitchen. Coffee pot on, packages of ingredients set out for dinner. He peered around the corner into the living room. There she was, asleep on the couch. He smiled sadly at his overworked parent, tiptoed to the couch, kissed her forehead, and went to his room.

He walked up the stairs, looking at all the pictures on the wall. The timeline of their lives, starting at the bottom and working its way up. His parents on their wedding day, smiling and hugging. His mother, swollen but glowing with happiness, giving the camera that "please don't" look. Bald baby Sora, chubby face looking up at the viewer, blue eyes so pure they could see into the soul. Birthdays, weddings, new babies.. They were all on the wall. It only showed the happiness. There was no death, no divorce, no fighting on this wall.

Sora hated it.

In his room he lay on his bed, staring at the sky.

The shooting star.. Could it have been them?

Maybe.

He sat up and stared up at forever.

She doesn't remember Riku..

He slammed his fist into his pillow in frustration. Something really wasn't right. He needed to talk with Donald and Goofy.

If they were still there. He hissed curses at himself. Stupid, stupid, stupid…. He had to see if they were still on the island.

He walked down the stairs as quickly as he could without making noise. He slipped his shoes on and glanced towards the living room. As far as he knew, his mother was still passed out on the couch. He reached for the doorknob, but as soon as his fingertips touched the cold metal, two resounding knocks came from the other side of the door, making him jump several inches.

He wrenched the door open and came face to face with Nyx, her gray eyes large.

"Wow, you're quick."

He glared at her. "What do you want? Did Kairi kick you out or something?"

She shook her head. "Nah, she's asleep. We kicked ourselves out."

"Wha..?"

Nyx grabbed his hand and jerked him out onto the stoop. "We're leaving!"

"Okay.. Um.." he frowned. "So soon?"

She nodded. "Yeah. This world is attracting heartless already, so we gotta amscray." and she tugged on his hand, pulling him towards the street.

"How do you know about the heartless?" he asked, shutting the door to the house.

"Well, duh, everyone does."

"Kairi doesn't."

"Kairi knows about the heartless, she just doesn't remember." she said, making it sound like there was a sign somewhere.

"She reme- Wait, how do you know what she doesn't remember?"

Nyx suddenly found the ground very interesting and didn't say a word.

"You asked her?"

"Um.. Yeah." she didn't make eye contact.

"Look at me when you answer me."

"Listen, Sora, we seriously gotta leave."

"You're behind this! You're why she doesn't remember!" he exploded, clutching her wrist tightly.

"Not me!" she cried, looking up at him. "And let _go_, that hurts!" she wrenched her arm away.

He glared at her. "Well, whatever, have fun wherever you're going."

"You're coming too."

He looked at her with disgust. "Not me. I didn't sign up for this."

"You signed up as soon as you became Keyblade master. I don't care if you want to come or not, it's not your decision."

"Now you know about the Keyblade?!"

Nyx growled and massaged her temples. "We _really_ do not have time for this, Sora."

- - -

She was standing on the beach. No.. not the beach. Sand under her feet, but the ocean, the trees.. They weren't there. Just emptiness, a void. She backs away from the non-ocean, looking around. She sees that she is really only standing on a small area of sand that's about ten feet long and six feet wide. There is some, ocean. Small, blue waves lapping the shore in front of her. But beyond that.. Nothing.

"Kairi!"

She looks up.

A boy with brown spiky hair runs to her.

"Sora!"

She steps forward a couple steps to meet him.

The ground lurches and crunches, throwing her forward. He catches her hand, and she stands, their hands still clasped.

"Kairi, remember what you said before? I'm always with you, too!"

The ground starts to pull apart, stretching their arms.

"I'll come back to you! I promise!"

They're straining to keep their holds.

But the strain is too great.

"I know you will!"

The bond is broken and she stumbles back.

The worlds are separating quickly as walls go up.

He reaches out to her. She rushes to the edge of the world as his rushes away, his arm still out.

Soft, white powder, like snow, starts to fall down around her.

She breaks eye contact with him and looks up.

Stars.

She looks at him and sees that he, too, is looking up.

I love you. _but she keeps her thoughts inside._

A burst of light, and trees starts to form, flying from the ground like the undead in a monster movie.

The ocean grows, flying up the shoreline.

She looks at him again. He calls her name, but she doesn't hear a word.

He looks around, as if in a panic. He cups his hands around his mouth. His lips move.

No sound.

The blue light of the sky grows brighter and she can't see him anymore.

"Sora!" she sobs, sitting straight up. She remembered …the heartless, the pain of separation..

But not the pain of being away from him. How old had they been in the memory? Fourteen… yes, that was right. Fourteen.. But she was going on sixteen, how..

"I missed you so much, Kairi. I'm glad you're okay."

"What are you talking about?"

He remembered.

"What?! Two days? Kairi, I've been gone for over a year!"

"No, two days. Quit exaggerating."

She didn't.

Riku.. That name…

Was it familiar? Maybe..

She pushed herself out of bed and pulled on a jacket over her clothing. She'd been so tired, she hadn't changed.

I have to find him!

- - -

"So.. You have a gummi ship, too, I suppose?"

They were on Kouhai now, speed walking across the sand. The shore crashed hauntingly on the sand.

Nyx nodded. "Yeah, Corben's getting it ready."

"You said the heartless were coming, right?"

"Yup."

"So.. aren't we bringing Kairi?"

"No." she replied, her voice suddenly cold.

"She can't defend herself against those things!" he said loudly, stopping.

She stopped as well and turned toward him slightly. "Donald and Goofy have agreed to stay here and keep an eye on her."

"Donald and.. So they're here?"

A nod.

"I need to talk to them."

"Then keep walking, they're helping Corben out with the ship."

He followed. They walked past the secret place to the mountain. Nyx lead him up the shaky ladder and down the path to the old ship wreck. Sure enough, a young man, a duck, a dog were all huddled around a brightly colored ship.

"Looky what I found!" Nyx called, stepping aside to show off Sora like a trophy.

"Lovely." Corben muttered dryly. "You ready to go?"

She nodded and looked at Sora.

"Donald, Goofy, come here for a second."

- - -

Nyx and Corben leaned against the gummi ship and waited for Sora to return. They stared up at the sky and all it's millions of stars, worlds, really, that winked down at them. Their eyes scanned the heavens carefully.

"Ah!" she gasped, pointing almost straight up. His eyes followed her directions, and sure enough, there was a small, flickering dot. It flipped on and off for a few moments, but then went out completely. He swore bitterly under his breath and looked around for Sora.

The gray-eyed young woman cupped her hands around her mouth and called for Sora. "Hurry up! We gotta book it!"

Sora, having seen the death of the star world, nodded. He started towards them, but then hesitated. He turned to his former companions.

"Take care of her."

And joined the others, who waved curt goodbyes to the dog and duck standing off by the rail. Nyx and Corben piled into the ship, Corben in the pilot's chain, Nyx in the copilot's.

Sora cast a final look over the night-tinted landscape. Homesickness started to form a lead ball in his throat, along with something else. Regret..?

The wind, like a heart that swam in the accumulated words

A small figure was running across the beach.

****

The clouds, a voice that was shot into the holding future

"Sora.."

****

The moon, a shaking heart in an unsteady mirror

She was close… but.. Why was she here?

"Sora!" she called, speeding up. "Sora!"

He turned to the two people in the ship, eyes pleading for a few extra minutes. Nyx looked away from him, pretending to study the control panel.

"Sora!"

****

The stars, gentle tears in an overflowing stream

"It's for her safety that we leave now."

"Why?!"

Kairi could run any faster. Her eyes were fixed on the brunette boy. She was so close..!

****

Isn't it beautiful, to walk together in each others hands

"Get in."

His mouth moved slowly, trying to make words, but none came. He looked at her one more time, then turned away.

****

That heart..

She stopped dead when she saw him boarding the ship, slipping between two strangers to leave her in a clown ship.

"We'll explain later."

"Why not now?"

__

..held within your body

She was at the top of the ladder.

****

The wind, its halting words are a gentle illusion

She was behind the King's loyal servants.

****

The clouds, the broken future like a distant voice

Her rage overwhelmed her, making her forget the words she so badly wanted to say.

I love you

The moon, a heart flowing in the clouded mirror

"Sora.. I…"

Nyx's hand was on the hatch, hesitating to close it.

"I.."

"Nyx, shut the damn door."

But she faltered, chewing her bottom lip.. They both knew what was coming. The muscles in her arm tensed as she jerked on the handle, but they still heard the awful, heartbreaking message.

****

The stars, broken and swaying, like tears unable to be hidden.

"**I hate you**!"

SLAM!

****

Isn't it beautiful, to walk together in each others hands

His blue eyes glistened in the glow of the switch board. He wanted to look away, but they were fixed on her.

****

I do so want to go..

The ship lifted off the soft, rotting wood of the ship and the engines roared painfully.

Kairi glared at the sky, red mists of anger turning the ship and the starts blood red.

**..to your city, your house, into your arms**

Sora sat dumbfounded, blank eyes threatening to overflow. Nyx bit down on her lip until she tasted blood. Corben went about his work, his eyes glinting with memories of what had been, so many years ago.

**That face**

The ship blinked and was gone into the sky.

**A soft touch**

Nyx leaned over the back of her chain and put her thumb to Sora's lower eyelid and wiped away the moisture that had gathered in his eyelashes. He looked at her oddly, as if he had only just noticed her.

"It'll all be okay." she said softly.

The only response he could manage was a look of pure disbelief.

**Dissolving into morning**

She touched her fore and middle fingers to his forehead, emitting a soft blue glow. "You just need rest. You'll be okay."

Sora's eyelids slid down slowly as she laid him down on his side.

**I dream**

She settled back into her seat and looked at Corben uneasily. "I screwed up."

He paused, then nodded once.

"I just.. I didn't think she would say it. She seemed too kind.." she shook her head.

"He'll manage.", which earned him an angry look. "I mean, well, he's got to be strong, right? I mean, look at everything that went on the last time the door was opened. And he can still smile and act like a regular kid."

She considered this a moment. True, she didn't know the whole story, but she knew enough of it to understand where her friend was going. "Yeah.. But you shouldn't call him a kid. He's too.." she looked back at him, reaching back to move a stray bit of hair.

"He's not your baby." he teased.

"Yeah? Well, he really needs a mom right now."

He gave a rare smile. "Misha's gonna love that."

-------------------------------------------------

END CHAPTER 6!!

AHH!

I'm sorry I wasn't very clear last chapter! I forget that not everyone knows what I've got in mind, which is good because if you did you wouldn't read the story, now would you?

Okay, so the song I used was "Suteki Da Ne" by Rikki. It's from Final Fantasy X, yo! I'm not sure why I used it, seeing as how that's supposed to be a sad part, but the song (and it's original use) are both kind of happy, but I thought it fit.

Speaking of Final Fantasy X, stay tuned for our next chapter! R&R in the meantime!

P.S.! You can find character designs for Nyx and Corben on my DA account! I can't figure out how to put a link up here, so I'll put one on my profile!


	7. lanc misha riku

Kyaa! I got lotsa commentos! Those are all at the bottom, so stay tuned after the chapter for special replies from the writer!

Notice how last chapter I didn't put a disclaimer? And the FBI didn't storm my house! But, just to be on the safe side, here is it.

DISCLAIMER: do you really think that if I created Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy I would be posting this here ?

--------------------------------

"Good luck, girlie."

The redhead turned, a rosy blush showing underneath layers of stage makeup. She smiled weakly and gave a faint nod. "Thanks."

The group on stage finished and hauled their guitars and drums off stage. They nodded politely to each other, but said nothing. A man in blue silk shirt and khakis walked out onto the stage, his white teeth gleaming in the bright lights, a microphone gripped between his fingers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, that was Lost Angels with 'Bell'! Let's hear another round of applause!" and the crowd was all to happy to comply, clapping like thunder and whistling shrilly.

"And now, the very girl you've been waiting for…"

The redhead tensed and held bits of her dress in a white-knuckled death grip.

"You'll be fine." her friend whispered, but now she wasn't so sure.

".. Misha!"

The crowd roared with excitement as she was pushed on stage. She squinted, momentarily blinded by the glare of the stage lights. Misha gave a short wave to the audience, bowed, then accepted the microphone from the man.

"Thank you.." she smiled gently.

- - -

Nyx turned her head to Corben and poked his cheek. He glared at her from behind his hair.

"What?"

"You're falling asleep at the wheel!"

"No I'm no-o-o-ot." He said, a yawn interrupting his speech. She raised an eyebrow.

"Mm hmm."

He ignored her and turned his head so that he could see into the back. "He's still sleeping?"

She nodded, eyes skimming the control panel. "He should be."

"You can drive this thing?"

"Yup."

He nodded, tilted his head foreword, and fell asleep quickly.

Nyx smiled at him fondly. He and Sora both looked so cute when they were sleeping.

Red, flashing lights grabbed her attention. Her face stretched into a grimace. She searched for a reason for the lights.

"Warning. Warning." the automated voice reported calmly.

"Warning what?!" she squeaked, slamming her fists on the dashboard.

"Warning. Warning. Warning."

"What?! Warning _what_?!" she whimpered, searching frantically. And then there it was.

Low fuel.

"Oh, snap!" she growled.

More lights. This time, they were accompanied by beeping noises.

"Warning. The world's gravity is pulling the ship in."

Useless technology! She turned to the pilot's seat and slugged Corben's arm. "Wake up!"

"What the-" he saw the flashing lights and heard the strangely tranquil warnings. "What did you do?"

"I didn't _do_ anything! It's this stupid hunk of junk gummi ship!" she cried.

"Okay.. So.." he paused to listen. "We're being pulled in?! What's the world?"

"Ours. But still, it's gonna be rough."

Corben nodded his agreement as Nyx twisted in her seat and sat Sora up straight.

"What are you doing?" he asked, searching for a way to soften the landing.

"Buckling him in! We don't need him flopping around the ship and stabbing us with his hair!"

From the city below the streak in the sky was blocked out by light pollution. The whole city was lit up as bright as day. The only people who had any chance of seeing it were on the outskirts of the magnificent metropolis, but the only people there couldn't care less about the skies.

- -

The first thing Sora noticed when he awoke was the throbbing pain in his forehead. He shook his head slowly and lifted his hand to the ache, wondering what had happened. He studied his surroundings carefully. Inside a gummi ship.. backseat.. someone had buckled his seatbelt. He was the only occupant of the craft, but there was movement outside.

He unbuckled clumsily, his hands shaking horribly. He crawled over the seats and poked his head out of the ship.

"Nyx? Corben? Hey, what's going-" and he stopped.

All around the ship was a dark, inky pool. It rippled faintly at the sound of his voice, and he felt a hand over his mouth. His blue eyes darted to the source, and there was Corben, Nyx by his side, both deadly serious. Nyx held a finger to her lips and Corben moved his hand.

"Don't - wake - them - up" she mouthed, motioning him to her other side. He came, moving cautiously, the pool giving small shivers with his steps.

"Aeroga on three." she whispered to him, her lips barely moving. He nodded.

Corben mouthed the countdown, holding up fingers to keep them paced.

"Aeroga" the three whispered in unison, and stepped forward over the pool. The winds immediately took under their feet, and they walked across carefully.

- -

Sora looked back at the ship.

"Don't tell me you forgot something." Corben said, frowning slightly.

"No.. it's just.. How are we gonna get back to the ship?" the brunette asked, rubbing his forehead gingerly.

"Don't worry about it."

He glanced to Corben, the ship, then back to Corben.

"C'mon!" Nyx called, waving. "We're gonna be late!"

- -

Walking through the city was a very odd experience. All the hustling and bustling, bright lights and tall buildings. The signs and billboards donned the pictures of flashy, candy-coated starlets and the chiseled faces of music gods. A large sphere of water could be seen towering over the skyline. People laughed and danced in the street. Sora looked around, amazed at this place.

"What is this world? What's it called?" he asked, his eyes unable to stay on one thing for long.

"Zanarkand!" Nyx replied cheerily, grabbing his arm and hauled him through the masses of people. The Keyblade master ogled the sights, unaware of the admiring looks he received from the many young men and women craning their necks to get good looks at him.

Nyx hugged his arm tightly and drug him along, Corben clearing a path for them. Sora noticed that the farther they went, the less people there were. The signs weren't as flashy and the streets weren't as busy. Stores were barely lit and there was a strong scent of alcohol, smoke, and grilled meat in the air.

"Here." Corben said, indicating a small stairway that lead down to a black door. The old neon sign read "EC O SCR EN".

Sora eyed his two companions warily. "In here?"

They nodded and pulled him down the stairs. The door to the building opened and Sora slammed into a figure in a long black coat that had just stepped out.

"Ahh! Sorry, sir, I-"

"It's alright." he said quickly, speeding up the steps.

That voice.. It's..

He whipped his head around, but the man was gone. "Nyx, who was-"

"Sora!" and he was jerked inside.

The smoke inside the room was thick, and it hurt Sora's eyes. Nyx and Corben moved through the crowd and found a space to stand in a dark corner. The room was humid, but the corner they found had a bearable temperature, but Sora and Nyx were straining to see over the cheering crowd.

Up on the stage stood a young woman with soft red hair that went halfway down her back. Her eyelids hooded her eyes, making their color indistinguishable. Her dress was long, with three shades of blue. A dark, almost black blue was the top layer; a strapless coat that split just under the bust line and flowed outward. The second layer was navy and was only a couple centimeters longer than the previous layer. The bottom was ribbed with points in the fabric. The last, bottom layer was pale blue and went down to the floor, opening at the knees to reveal black lace-up boots. On her arms were long, blue-black opera-style gloves that curved around the front and came to a dramatic point. Around her left wrist she wore a black cord with a small, gold medallion hanging from it. On each cheekbone sat three small droplets of gold makeup. Extending from the back of the dress were two slender angel wings that glittered in the white hot lights.

The music started and she held the microphone to her mouth. The crowd fell silent and watched her.

"_Ahh.. A-Ahh.. A-aahh… Ooooh ohh_…" she started, her voice wavering.

"_I've lost something important because of small things_

The cold ring showed it's glimmer to me

I said 'All I need is today' but that wasn't the case

The door to you vanished without a sound

The more I wish for your happiness, the more selfish I become

But still, I want you to stay, and I always did

When someone's wish comes true she'll be crying

That was the door won't make a sound "

Her eyes were closed as she sang, her body swaying and rolling with the music like a bit of ribbon in the ocean. Her voice was almost raw sounding, breaking the hearts of her audience. As she sang her shoulders hunched slightly, as if her small body was folding in on itself.

"_I wanted to become the only one who can heal you, who is needed by everyone,_

And I've endured a little too much

To wish for my own happiness is not selfish, right?

If that's so, I want to hold you as tight as I can

When my tears dry up, she'll be crying

That way, the ground under us won't dry up

The more I wish for your happiness, the more selfish I become

But you never hold me back, you never did

When someone's wish comes true, she'll be crying

Everyone's wishes can't be granted at once"

The makeup on her cheeks glistened. But was it makeup? She sounded as if her heart were breaking.

"_As the small earth rotates, I learn to become more kind_

I want to hug you once more, as soft as I can"

Her eyebrows furrowed with sorrow as she sang the last part. Her voice quivered slightly as she held notes longer. The piano crooned a couple more notes, and then silence settled over the room. The silence was short-lived, however, as the crowd almost immediately broke out into deafening cheers. The girl on stage bowed quickly, letting her hair fall into her face, and then exited the stage.

Sora felt a sharp jab in his ribs. "C'mon." Corben said gruffly, and Nyx grabbed his wrist. They made their way through the crowd, pushing people aside roughly and charging through. They came close to the stage and met a young man with feathery, light brown hair that fell into his eyes.

"Lanc!" Nyx shouted above the noise of the crowd.

He turned and smiled at them. "You almost missed the set!" he scolded, shaking his head at them.

"Sorry! We, er, had a bit of trouble with the ship."

He lead them backstage, past the large, muscled bouncer, to the dressing rooms. He knocked lightly on the door. "Mish, you decent?"

The door swung open, and the girl from the stage stood in the doorway. "Come in! Come in!" she said breathlessly, moving aside. The group entered, Nyx throwing her arms around the other girl's neck.

"Kyaa! Mishaa!" she squealed. "That was so fantastic!"

"No, it wasn't. I could have done so much better!"

Nyx let go and shook her head ("Too self critical!" she muttered), then lunged at the new boy, apparently named Lanc.

Now that he was in the smoke-free dressing room, he could see the newcomers more clearly.

Lanc was the tallest of the five people, a head taller than Sora. His hair was very pale brown, thin, and longish, his bangs hanging down in his eyes. Sora noticed that he was jerking his head to the side in attempts to clear his gray eyes of his hair. His clothing was plain: A simple olive green, sleeveless, wide-necked shirt with a form-fitting black shirt underneath that covered his neck. His pants were black and worn over his black boots. His arms, wrists, and hands were bare. From his left ear hung a small, simple gold hoop.

Misha was still in her stage clothing, but some of her makeup had been cleaned off, making her paler than she had been. Her eyes, now visible, were large and round. The color was bright, pure gold.

Corben hung off to the side casually, watching the reunion. The red-haired girl, Misha, hugged him warmly, and, in doing so, noticed the boy with the spiky, chocolate colored hair.

"Who's this?" she asked, tilting her head with curiosity.

There was something odd about her features, aside from her eye color. Something Sora couldn't place. He held out his hand to her. "I'm Sora."

She nodded, examining him. "Well, Sora, I'm Misha." She looked at his outstretched hand and smiled. "We can just skip formalities." She said, and hugged him gently. Her hair smelled like flowers and smoke. There was something familiar about her behavior.

She pulled away from him slowly and ran her fingers through her hair. "I'll be ready to go in a moment, just let me get changed." she said, smiling tiredly.

Nyx ushered the boys into the hall and shut the door. Corben and Lanc stood against the walls, while Sora sat on the floor and leaned his back on the wall, looking up at the other two.

"So.. You're Sora, eh?" Lanc spoke up.

"Yeah."

He extended his hand. "Lanc. Nice to meet ya."

Sora nodded to him and took his hand.

Lanc and Corben proceeded to talk about something Sora didn't quite understand. Something about Abes, but he didn't care. His mind was a million miles away on a beach and he was lost.

- -

The dressing room door opened slowly and Nyx tip-toed out. "Aww! Meanie Corben and Lanc are ignoring poor Sora!" she cooed, hauling Sora to his feet.

Misha stepped out of the room behind her, rubbing her eyes. She wore a simpler outfit that consisted to a cap-sleeved white shirt and a short, blue-plaid skirt. She wore black-knee length boots with tall heels and the medallion from before still dangled from her wrist.

"Alright, everyone's here! Let's get a move on!" Lanc said, clapping his hands together. The group nodded and the slipped out the back door. The air had gotten a lot colder, causing them all to give a collective shiver. Nyx turned and stared longingly at the club.

"Come on, my place isn't far." Lanc said, grinning roguishly.

- -

They reached Lanc's building and Sora looked up. Maybe five stories tall and made of very dark bricks. Most of the windows were dark, but a few showed dim lights through musty curtains. They climbed several flights of creaky stairs, to the top floor. At the end of the hall, they stopped outside a dark door, marked with three symbols that Sora couldn't read. Misha opened the door and peered into the house.

"Hello?" she called lightly.

"You expecting someone?" Corben asked, frowning.

"Um, Not really. There's a newbie, and, well, he didn't have a place to stay, and Lanc offered." she said, shutting the door behind them and flipping a switch. Several spheres glowed softly all around the room.

"Yeah," Lanc smiled. "He's pretty cool. He's a little sulky, though, Corb. He really reminds me of you."

"Ha ha ha." Corben muttered dryly.

"So.. Now we've got two newbies?" Nyx asked, jerking her head at Sora.

"Guess so." Sora replied, standing with his hands behind his head, smiling cheerily.

"So, who's hungry?" Lanc asked.

- - -

His long, silvery hair rustled as he walked across the rooftop. His black boots clopped on the rooftop and the long black coat he wore sighed softly against his clothing. His aquamarine eyes flashed in the moonlight and his breath bloomed white blossoms around his lips, which were blue-tinted with cold. He stopped at the edge and looked at the metropolis around him. Tall, tall buildings. He turned his face to the sky, wishing he could see the stars.

The door to the rooftop opened with a creak.

"Hey.."

He turned and smiled tiredly. "Hey Misha."

"You should come inside. It's freezing out here."

He didn't say anything and turned back to the city. Misha went to stand next to him, shivering.

"Sora's here."

"I know. I sorta ran into him earlier."

"You should go see him."

Something changed in his eyes. He looked down at the top of her head.

"I.. I can't.

"Why?"

"You shouldn't have to ask. I told you what happened." he replied coldly.

She sighed, her breath clouding.

Misha started to walk back, then turned to him once more. "I know how much you care about him. You shouldn't be so scared. Sora.. he seems like he could really use something familiar. I'll bet he's willing to forgive you."

"Okay. Just.. not now. Later."

She nodded. "Alright, Riku."

- - - - -

Chapter 7 is complete! Okay, so the song Misha sang is a real song by Hikaru Utada called "When Someone's Wish Comes True", or "Dareka No Negai Ga Kanau Koro". It's from the CASSHERN soundtrack!!

Okay, so I know Misha seems like an MJ so far, but I swear she's not! Please give me a few chapters to flesh her out a bit.

Now for some stuff!

**Jaile** -(some) fan girls rule. (i.e. you, me, etc) And, yeah, there has been some Riku, but I've been leaving him out purposely. Hope this chapter made you happier.

**Cammy-world666** - Tee hee. Nyx x Sora 4lyfe (no, I'm just kidding. I don't think that'll happen. Ever.) I think I'm starting to warm up to her, too.

**Kimiko12** - blush such kind words! Thank you! Yeah, I know I was kinda harsh with Kairi, I'm sorry about that. It just came to me and I wrote it.

**Superpooper** - okey dokey.


	8. explanation attempt

AHHH! I'm finally posting again! No, I didn't forget about the story. Okay, so I had a decent amount of this chapter written, and KABLAM, my internet stops working! Okay, well as I'm going totally insane from having to use my old, slower computer, I receive some terrible news! My computer was so loaded with SPYWARE and viruses that the only way to get rid of it all was to get rid of ALL MY FILES! So all my chapters are gone, and for almost a month so was Microsoft Word! How sad! But now it's working, so I'm all set!

ONWARD!

--------

Riku stood on the edge, face upturned to the rain-swollen clouds. He closed his eyes and breathed in, his chest swelling, then exhaled slowly.

Maybe Misha was right. Maybe he should go see Sora.

But..

He shook his head angrily. Always 'but'! Maybe that's what had always held him back from so much. He was afraid of consequences. If he ever told him how he felt, how would he respond? He wasn't sure of the answer, but he would bet anything that Sora couldn't return the feelings. He'd wanted to confess for years. Every day his heart would feel like it would burst, but every day he'd held it down.

Riku looked down at the streets below where little ant people went about their lives. Vertigo swept over him and he backed up a step, returning his gaze to the skies.

Sora.. Would you hate me if you knew?

Riku had grown up afraid of what he was. Lots of people on the Islands had looked down on having such strong feelings for the someone of the same gender. They were threatened by it. They were afraid that their children would be.. _That_.

His mother… she'd been such a frail little doll, always looking like she would break. Riku was her only child, her only chance at grandchildren. He knew that if he were to tell her, she would have shattered. Looking back, he wished he had told her. Did she know now?

Riku remembered hearing once that, in death, all of life's questions were answered.

He shuddered and looked towards the horizon. It was almost morning and the familiar ache behind his eyes started again. The young man put his hand into his pocket and withdrew and length of black cloth, which he tied around his eyes.

A fat raindrop plummeted down and splattered on his cheek, quickly followed by another. He turned on his heel and pulled open the small door, and it creaked in response. He wasn't sure where to go, but he couldn't stay out here.

---

Sora way lying on the couch, glaring at the ceiling. Kairi's words echoing harshly in his head.

"Sora.. I…"

His eyes narrowed.

"I.."

He clenched his teeth as the scene replayed itself in his mind.

"Nyx, shut the damn door."

Did they know it was going to happen? Why did she hesitate?

"I hate you!"

He growled angrily, throwing himself into a sitting position. The others were in the small kitchen, which was currently the source of soft laughter and quiet conversation. He entered the room, his eyes dark with anger. The others, all seated around a small table and holding mugs of dark liquid, looked up at him upon his arrival, Lanc nodding his head in acknowledgement, Misha offered a smile, and Nyx grinned widely at him. Corben merely watched him, figuring this wasn't the time for cheer.

"I think you owe me an explanation." The Keyblade Master growled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We'll try." Lanc said, swirling his cup to stir the contents.

You'd better do more than try he thought, but instead he said "What's going on?"

"You'll have to be more specific." Corben.

"Well, for starters, why didn't Kairi remember Riku? Why did she think I'd been there on the island?"

Nyx chewed her lip and Corben looked down into his cup. Lanc and Misha, having never met Kairi, both stared blankly.

"Well?" he pressed, letting his annoyance show. "Why didn't she remember?"

"I… don't know." Nyx said, turning her eyes away from him.

"Bull. I remember you said, exactly, that you knew why she didn't remember!"

"No! I said that I wasn't the one that made her forget!"

He glared, remembering.

"Kairi knows about the heartless, she just doesn't remember."

"How do you know what she doesn't remember?"

Sora's fist clenched.

"You're behind this! You're why she doesn't remember!"

"Not me!"

He looked up at Nyx. "You know why she doesn't.. but you didn't do it..?"

She nodded, her body language inappropriately cheerful.

"Okay then. Explain it to me."

She opened her mouth to speak, then shut it, then opened, then shut. She paused and thought for a moment. Sora's upper lip curled into a snarl and he slammed his fist against the wall. "Well?!" he shouted, making them all jump in their chairs.

"Sora.." Misha said softly, making him feel suddenly ashamed.

"It's hard to explain." Nyx said, frowning at him.

"Well, why don't you try?" Sora asked, restraining his temper.

She nodded, reproachful of his tone. "Okay.. Here it goes.." she turned to the others "Now, if I mess up or leave anything out, say something."

She took a deep breath, and started.

"Well, when the worlds close, the world borders go up, right? Well, that's common knowledge, everyone involved with Keyblades and such know that. But what not everyone knows about is the memory loss thing. When the borders go up, people go back to their own worlds and forget what happened."

"Wait," Sora interrupted, "they forget? So everyone just has a blank in their memories?"

"Well, they're given new memories that the amount of time was uneventful, or they were sick and couldn't go out or something."

"Who gives them the memories?"

A silence fell over them for a few minutes.

"Umm…" Nyx ran her right index finger in figure-eights on the table. But, before Sora could lose his temper, a hollow knock came from the door and echoed.

Misha excused herself quickly, and slipped out of the kitchen into the main room. The group listened, eager for something to break the tension. The door opened with a _klik ,_ and there was a low conversation.

Sora's mind was too busy to concentrate on the events of the door, and quickly chased after thoughts of the night's events.

So… when Kingdom Hearts is sealed, then the world borders go up and the Heartless are gone. But along with that, people forget what happened. And the blank spaces in their memories were filled in by… who?

The talking in the next room stopped and was replaced by the sounds of two sets of footsteps, then a door opening and closing.

Riku.. He never went home… and nobody remembered him at all. Or at least Kairi didn't…

Then a thought crossed his mind and sent his stomach flip-flopping.

Does that mean that no one remembered me while I was gone?

-----------

Bah! I'm sorry! I know it's insanely short for me having not posted anything in so long, but I guess it's better than nothing at all. , I'll post more pretty quickly, I think.


	9. through golden eyes

Ahhh! Ch.9 already??! How nutty!

--

Okay, so the story starts out from Misha's POV , just to clear stuff up.

----------------------

To be honest, when he showed up at the door it scared me. Staggering like a drunk and mumbling incoherently, dripping with rain from walking on the outside stairwells.

"What's up?" I whisper, trying to keep Sora from hearing.

He mumbles, shaking his head.

"Hey… hey!" I try and get his attention, but he won't make eye contact.

More mumbling.

"Have you been drinking?" I try to smell his breath, but there is no tell tale scent. That rules out everything except vodka, but I don't know where he could have found that.

I looped arms with him and lead him down the hall, whispering to him, trying to get him to say something.. anything. I took him to the small bedroom at the end of the hall and opened the door, which gave a creak of protest.

The room was modestly furnished, with only a small futon on the floor and a chest of drawers in the corner. He staggered to the bed and collapsed, breathing heavily, rain dripping down his cheeks and forehead. I closed the door and it squeaked.

I sat on the bed next to him and pressed my hands to his cheeks, but I jerked them away quickly.

"Riku! You feel like ice!"

He gives a light moan and furrows his brow. "Your hands are warm." he croaks, his voice strained. I put one hand to his cheek and use the other to pull the black cloth from around his eyes.

"Nonono…" he hissed, raising a hand to put the strip of fabric back to his eyes.

I feel tears build up but hold them back. "Riku.. I… what's going on?"

"I think I'm sick."

I unzipped the long, black coat he wore and eased it off, leaving it in a heap on the floor. I was shocked to see not a shirt, but his bare chest. His chest was pale, but surprisingly muscular. He wore a pair of black pants that tucked into his boots. His body was now convulsing with shivers and his lips were tinted blue. He reaches blindly for the soaked coat, but its out of his reach. Instead he found my other hand and gripped it tightly for warmth.

I take my hand back for a moment, and pull a thick, moss colored comforter from a chest in the corner and draped it over the silver haired boy. The shivering calmed, but didn't stop.

"Riku, this is scaring me. Where have you been?"

He doesn't answer, but instead he rolls onto his side and turns his back to me. I sigh, turning to the door, praying that the others wouldn't get curious and investigate. They'd met Riku a couple times, but never like this. Not even I had seen him like this.

I lay down next to him, pressing my hands to the back of his neck and my right cheek to his left. After a minute or two, I pull away and stand up. He whimpers like a small child and reaches his hand out slightly.

"I'm going to get some more blankets and something for you to drink."

"Is S-Sora here?"

"Yes, Riku, but… I thought you didn't want to see him?"

"I d-don't.. n-not when I'm l-like this…"

"Alright." I whisper, then turn to the door. There is shouting coming from the kitchen, and it's getting closer.

"You said Misha might know! Why don't we just find out?!"

"Stop! Sora, please, I-" but Nyx is cut off by more shouting.

"Sora, calm down!" Lanc yells, and then the sound of something heavy slamming against the wall. "I know you want answers, but you won't get them by being a-"

"What do you know?!"

Instinctively, I move to Riku to protect him. _From what?_

There is silence in the hall, and Riku rolls towards me, reaching for my arm "Misha… what's going on..?"

I turn to him, taking his reaching hands and, lifting a bit of my shirt, pressing his palms to my stomach, the cold making my muscles tighten. "It's alright, Riku.."

From in the hall: "What?" and the door wrenches open, flooding the room in light. Riku gasps in pain and cringes, covering his eyes.

Almost immediately I realize what this must look like. Riku and I, in a dark room, alone, mussed bed, his hands up my shirt and the blanket giving him the illusion of nudity..

Sora's face changed, going from rage red to crimson embarrassment, his mouth opens an closes like a fishes, as of trying to apologize.

"No, Sora-!" Lanc, Nyx, and Corben appear in the doorway behind Sora. Nyx gives a squeak and moves away, Corben raises his eyebrows, and Lanc's mouth simply hands open slightly, his face reddening quickly.

Riku, not realizing the situation, sits up slightly, using my shoulders as support. He's shaking all over, and his hair is still dripping. "Misha.."

Sora's eyes widened, and he managed to spit out a couple words. "Riku? Is that you?"

Riku's whole body goes rigid at the sound of his voice, like a full body flinch.

"It.. It is Riku!" he steps quickly to his friend's side, putting a hand on his bare shoulder gently. His face is no longer twisted with rage or panged with humiliation, but warm with hope. "Riku! It's me! Sora!" Riku keeps his face towards the floor, hands gripping my shoulders like vices. Sora's face falls slightly. "Riku… please… Don't say you've forgotten me!" The brunette's voice cracks, making him sound as though he were about to cry. Riku's face tightens, then he opens his mouth.

"Yeah.. Sora, I remember you."

Sora sighs as if the weight of the world has just been lifted off his shoulders. A smile spread across his features and he threw his arms around his friend. Riku looks like he wants to run, but instead he lets go of my bruising shoulders and hesitantly returns his friend's embrace.

I turn to the others, hoping that I can explain. I give them apologetic looks, then, after giving a glance to Riku and Sora, get up and leave the two, walking to my friends in the doorway.

Sora.. Riku…

---------------------

Yay! 9 chapters in! Alright, so this is short, but I promise the next one will be longer!


	10. just a note

Dear Readers, 

I'm sorry to break this to you so suddenly, but this is where I stop writing the story. I guess a few of you out there probably saw it coming, but the end is the end.

However, this is only the end of me being the author of this story. WideEyedGiant has offered to continue for me, so you can go over to his account and continue reading.

I'm sorry to anyone who is disappointed/totally crushed (yeah right) over my decision, but this is what I have decided, so I would appreciate not getting flamed or anything over this.

I wish you all a bright and happy future,  
RaspPunkyCS


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